THE planned national introduction of a private police force to plug gaps in austerity-hit services is “utterly appalling,” Labour said today.

My Local Bobby charges up to £200 a month for “bespoke protective services” such as direct access to a local officer who can be tracked via an app and a meet-and-greet service from train stations.

While the force has no policing powers, it can make citizen’s arrests and gather evidence to launch private prosecutions.